iPad Air 2 images surface showing slight design tweaks

A fresh batch of iPad Air 2 images have emerged online, giving us a few more clues as to how Apple will tweak the design later this year.

Although this is apparently another mock-up rather than a fully function iPad Air 2 prototype, but these devices are giving us a good look as to how the 2014 tablet might look, despite it lacking the rear Apple logo at present.

These latest images show the iPad Air 2 lying side by side with the original iPad Air launched in October last year.

As with previous rumours and leaked images, the Touch ID home button with its distinctive metal ring is clearly visible on this iPad Air 2. The fingerprint technology was introduced with the iPhone 5S last year and it looks like Apple could feature the technology in its tablet range too this year.

What’s interesting is that it looks like Apple could be cutting the iPad Air 2’s thickness down by at least 1mm. The current iPad Air is only 7.5mm thick, so that would make the next generation tablet around 6.5mm.

Apple could be abandoning the lock switch featured above the volume buttons on previous models, with access instead provided by the Action Centre within the iOS.

Potentially in an attempt to make the iPad Air 2 more streamlined, the volume rocker and lock buttons also seem to be less protruding than on the current iPads. This could be just due to the mock-up though, and the buttons may be the same as those we’ve seen before.

The speaker grille has also been tweaked, with a single punched line rather than two smaller ones.

The positioning of the rear camera has also been slightly changed, so Apple is going to be forced to tweak its existing Smart Cover.

Aside from those changes, the iPad Air 2 looks very similar to its predecessor, even down to the diamond cut edges that are tipped to be scrapped with the iPhone 6.